Bernardo Provenzano (; 31 January 1933 – 13 July 2016) was an Italian

mobster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...

and chief of the Sicilian Mafia clan known as the Corleonesi, a Mafia faction that originated in the town of Corleone, and ''de facto'' the boss of bosses (''il

capo dei capi ''Capo dei capi'' (; "boss of hebosses") or ''capo di tutti i capi'' (; "boss of all hebosses") or ''Godfather'' ( it, Padrino) are terms used mainly by the media, public, fiction writers and law enforcement community to indicate a supremely po ...

''). His nickname was ''Binnu u tratturi'' ( Sicilian for "Bernie the tractor") because, in the words of one

informant An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a “snitch”) is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law-enforcement world, where informant ...

, "he mows people down."Profile: Bernardo Provenzano
, BBC News, 11 April 2006. Another nickname was ''il ragioniere'' ("the accountant") due to his apparently subtle and low-key approach to running his crime empire, at least in contrast to some of his more violent predecessors.
, ''Time Europe Magazine'', 29 August 2004. Provenzano was part of the

Corleonesi Mafia clan The Corleonesi Mafia clan was a faction within the Corleone family of the Sicilian Mafia, formed in the 1970s. Notable leaders included Luciano Leggio, Salvatore Riina, Bernardo Provenzano, and Leoluca Bagarella. Corleonesi affiliates were ...

who backed mob boss

Luciano Leggio Luciano Leggio (; 6 January 1925 – 15 November 1993) was an Italian criminal and leading figure of the Sicilian Mafia. He was the head of the Corleonesi, the Mafia faction that originated in the town of Corleone. He is universally known with th ...

in the ambush and murder of

Michele Navarra Michele Navarra (; 5 January 1905 – 2 August 1958) was an Italian member of the Sicilian Mafia. He was a qualified physician and headed the Mafia family from the town of Corleone in Sicily. He was known as u patri nostru'' (our father) ...

in the late 1950s. In 1963, Provenzano became a fugitive after a failed hit. Provenzano also participated in the

Viale Lazio massacre The Viale Lazio massacre on 10 December 1969 was a settling of accounts in the Sicilian Mafia. Mafia boss Michele Cavataio and three men were killed in the Viale Lazio in Palermo, Sicily, by a Mafia hit squad. The bloodbath marked the end of a ' ...

in the late 1960s. Salvatore Riina succeeded Leggio in the mid 1970s, and Provenzano became the second in command of the Corleonesi. Provenzano took the reins after Riina was captured in 1993, and

Leoluca Bagarella Leoluca Bagarella (; born 3 February 1942) is an Italian criminal and member of the Sicilian Mafia. He is from the town of Corleone. Following Salvatore Riina's arrest in early 1993, Bagarella became the head of the stragist strategy faction, ...

in 1995, both having been sentenced ''

in absentia is Latin for absence. , a legal term, is Latin for "in the absence" or "while absent". may also refer to: * Award in absentia * Declared death in absentia, or simply, death in absentia, legally declared death without a body * Election in ab ...

'' at the

Maxi Trial The Maxi Trial ( it, Maxiprocesso) was a criminal trial against the Sicilian Mafia that took place in Palermo, Sicily. The trial lasted from 10 February 1986 (the first day of the Corte d'Assise) to 30 January 1992 (the final day of the Supreme ...

in the mid-1980s to life imprisonment for ordering multiple murders, including the two high-profile bombings (the

Capaci massacre The Capaci bombing ( it, Strage di Capaci) was a terror attack by the Sicilian Mafia that took place on 23 May 1992 on Highway A29, close to the junction of Capaci, Sicily. It killed magistrate Giovanni Falcone, his wife Francesca Morvillo, ...

and

Via D'Amelio massacre The via D'Amelio bombing ( it, Strage di via D'Amelio) was a terrorist attack by the Sicilian Mafia, which took place in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, on 19 July 1992. It killed Paolo Borsellino, the anti-mafia Italian magistrate, and five members of ...

) that killed prosecutors

Giovanni Falcone Giovanni Falcone (; 18 May 1939 – 23 May 1992) was an Italian judge and prosecuting magistrate. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, Sicily, he spent most of his professional life trying to overthrow the power of the Sicilian ...

and

Paolo Borsellino Paolo Emanuele Borsellino (; scn, Pàulu Borsellino; 19 January 1940 – 19 July 1992) was an Italian judge and prosecuting magistrate. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, Sicily, he spent most of his professional life trying t ...

. After 43 years living as a fugitive, he was captured in 2006, and subjected to the stringent

Article 41-bis prison regime In Italian law, Article 41-bis of the Prison Administration Act, also known as carcere duro ("hard prison regime"), is a provision that allows the Minister of Justice or the Minister of the Interior to suspend certain prison regulations. Currently ...

until his death on 13 July 2016.

Early years

Provenzano was born the third of seven children on 31 January 1933, in Corleone, Sicily, to farmers Angelo Provenzano and Giovanna Rigoglioso. It was during this period that a series of illegal activities began, especially cattle raiding and the theft of foodstuffs. In August 1958, Provenzano was one of the 14 gunmen who backed mob boss

in the ambush and murder of

. Leggio subsequently became the head of the Family. Over the next five years, Provenzano helped Leggio hunt down and kill many of Navarra's surviving supporters. In September 1963, Provenzano became a fugitive after a failed hit on one of Navarra's men – at this point, he was not running from the police but from Mafia vendetta. Leggio said of Provenzano: "He shoots like an angel but has the brains of a chicken."Gangster No 1
". ''The Guardian''. 24 April 2001.Longrigg, ''Boss of Bosses'', p. 152. On 10 September 1963, an arrest warrant was issued against Provenzano for the murder of one of Navarra's men. Provenzano participated in the

on 10 December 1969: the killing of

Michele Cavataio Michele Cavataio (18 March 1929 – 10 December 1969), also known as ''Il cobra'' (The cobra) was an Italian mobster and powerful member of the Sicilian Mafia. He was the boss of the Acquasanta mandamento in Palermo and was a member of the firs ...

for his role in the

First Mafia War The Ciaculli massacre on 30 June 1963 was caused by a car bomb that exploded in Ciaculli, an outlying suburb of Palermo, killing seven police and military officers sent to defuse it after an anonymous phone call. The bomb was intended for Salvat ...

. The attack nearly went wrong, as Cavataio was able to shoot and kill

Calogero Bagarella Calogero Bagarella (; January 14, 1935 – December 10, 1969) was an Italian criminal and member of the Sicilian Mafia. He was from the town of Corleone and belonged to the Mafia clan of Corleonesi. Biography Calogero Bagarella was born in Corleo ...

, before Provenzano killed him with a Beretta 38/A submachine gun and earned himself a reputation as a Mafia killer with the attack. However, according to

Gaetano Grado Gaetano Grado (born in Palermo, 8 March 1943) is an Italian mafioso from Palermo, Sicily. He was a member of the Santa Maria di Gesù family under Stefano Bontade until his arrest, after which he became a justice collaborator. Biography Gaetano ...

, one of the participants who turned government witness later, it was Provenzano who botched the attack, shooting too early. Leggio was captured by police in 1974, and Salvatore Riina was effectively left in charge. Provenzano became the second in command of the Corleonesi, Riina's right-hand man.

Fugitive and later years

In 1981, Provenzano and Riina unleashed the so-called Second Mafia War, with which they eliminated rival bosses and established a new " Commission", composed only of capomandamenti; during the meetings of the "Commission", Provenzano participated in the decisions and the organization of numerous murders as an influential exponent of the district of Corleone and repeatedly protected, with intimidation, the political career of Vito Ciancimino, the main political referent of the Corleonesi."Provenzano confidente dei carabinieri"
. ''La Repubblica''. 22 October 2005. In 1993 after Riina’s arrest, in a meeting at Villabate it was decided that both Bernardo Provenzano and

are in charge of holding Corleone’s mandate together. Provenzano took the reins of the Corleonesi and all of Cosa Nostra after Riina was arrested in January 1993, and

in June 1995, both having been sentenced ''

'' at the

in the mid-1980s to life imprisonment for ordering multiple murders, including the two high-profile massacres of the prosecutors

and

Evasion and capture

Provenzano frowned upon the use of telephones and issued orders and communications (even to his family) through small, hand-delivered notes called ''

pizzini Pizzino (; plural as ''pizzini'') is an Italian language word derived from the Sicilian language equivalent ''pizzinu'' meaning "small piece of paper". The word has been widely used to refer to small slips of paper that the Sicilian Mafia uses for ...

''. Many of the notes from Provenzano that police have intercepted sign off with religious blessings, such as one that concluded "May the Lord bless and protect you." According to mob godmother-turned-informant Giuseppina Vitale, Provenzano had appeared at a 1992 Cosa Nostra summit meeting dressed in the purple robes of a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

. Religious behaviour and language progressively became the prominent features of Provenzano's figure. For example, Provenzano systematically underlined verses from the Bible and took notes of relevant passages to be threaded in his ''pizzini'' through otherwise routine instructions regarding daily business matters. He also recurrently thanked 'Our Lord Jesus Christ', and referred to 'The Divine Providence' and 'Our beloved Lord', expressing the hope that 'He might help us to do the right things'. In particular, the expression ''Con il volere di Dio'' (With God's will), to date has been counted 43 times, and it often appears more than once in the same piece of communication. Provenzano used a version of the Caesar cipher, used by

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

in wartime communications. The Caesar code involves shifting each letter of the alphabet forward three places; Provenzano's ''pizzini'' code did the same, then replaced letters with numbers indicating their position in the alphabet. For example, one reported note by Provenzano read "I met 512151522 191212154 and we agreed that we will see each other after the holidays..." This name was decoded as "Binnu Riina". In October 2003, Provenzano was driven to France, allegedly by

Villabate Villabate ( Sicilian: ''Villabbati'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 19,441 and an area of .All d ...

mobster Salvatore Troia, to undergo

prostate The prostate is both an Male accessory gland, accessory gland of the male reproductive system and a muscle-driven mechanical switch between urination and ejaculation. It is found only in some mammals. It differs between species anatomically, ...

surgery at a private clinic near

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

.Mafia boss flees Sicily to have prostate surgery in France
''The Telegraph'', 27 February 2005. Provenzano was also provided with fake travel and medical records, under the name of Salvatore Troia's father, Gaspare Troia, a Sicilian baker. Mario Cusimano, another Villabate mobster who was later arrested, began to collaborate with police in 2005, and revealed to the investigators that the identity card used by Provenzano to go to Marseille had been stamped by Francesco Campanella, former president of the municipal council of Villabate, and in September 2005, Campanella also began to collaborate with police who confirmed that he was the one who had stamped the document. The

Italian State Police The ''Polizia di Stato'' ( State Police or P.S.) is one of the national police forces of Italy. Alongside the Carabinieri, it is the main police force for providing police duties, primarily to cities and large towns, and with its child agencie ...

were able to create a

photofit A facial composite is a graphical representation of one or more eyewitnesses' memories of a face, as recorded by a composite artist. Facial composites are used mainly by police in their investigation of (usually serious) crimes. These images a ...

of Provenzano based on the descriptions of informants, as well as doctors and nurses at the Marseilles clinic where Provenzano was admitted for surgery. On 25 January 2005, police raided various homes in Sicily and arrested 46 Mafia suspects believed to be helping Provenzano elude the authorities. Although they did not catch the elusive Mafia boss himself, investigators nonetheless unearthed evidence that the 72-year-old Provenzano was still very much alive and in control of the Mafia, in the form of his cryptic handwritten notes, his preferred method of giving orders to his men. Two months later another raid, which netted over 80 Mafiosi took place, although Provenzano was not among those captured, yet again. Provenzano had been a fugitive from the law since 1963. Until his arrest, the only known photographs of him were taken during the 1950s; the last-known photo was taken in 1959: a serious youth with greased hair wearing a suit for a saint's festival. Provenzano was finally captured on 11 April 2006, by the Italian police near his home town, Corleone. A spokesman for the Palermo police, Agent Daniele Macaluso, said Provenzano had been arrested during the morning near Corleone, 60 km south of Palermo and was being driven back to the Sicilian capital. The police were able to pinpoint Provenzano's exact location by the simplest of connections; they tracked a delivery of clean laundry from his family to his farmhouse hide-out.

After his arrest

After his arrest, he was held at the maximum security prison in

Terni Terni ( , ; lat, Interamna (Nahars)) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria in central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera river. It is ...

, and subjected to the

. After one year, he was transferred to a prison in

Novara Novara (, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It i ...

where he tried several times to communicate through ''pizzini''. The

Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry. Lists of current ministries of justice Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia) * Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Just ...

then decided to apply "special surveillance" on Provenzano. In total, Provenzano was given 20 life sentences plus 49 years and one month, and solitary confinement for 33 years and six months. After the arrest of Provenzano,

Salvatore Lo Piccolo Salvatore Lo Piccolo (; born 20 July 1942), also known as "the Baron" (), is a Sicilian '' mafioso'' and one of the most powerful bosses of Palermo, Sicily. Lo Piccolo rose through the ranks of the Palermo mafia throughout the 1980s and he becam ...

and

Matteo Messina Denaro Matteo Messina Denaro (; born 26 April 1962), also known as ''Diabolik'', is a Sicilian Mafia boss. He got his nickname from the Italian comic book character of the same name. He is considered to be one of the new leaders of Cosa Nostra after t ...

were thought to be the new leaders of

Cosa Nostra The Sicilian Mafia, also simply known as the Mafia and frequently referred to as Cosa nostra (, ; "our thing") by its members, is an Italian Mafia-terrorist-type organized crime syndicate and criminal society originating in the region of Sicily ...

.Mafia cerca il confronto con lo Stato
, Sebastiano Gulisano, Polizia e democrazia, September 2001 However, about 350 ''pizzini'' were found at Provenzano's hide-out, some of which had indicated that Provenzano's joint deputies in Palermo were Salvatore Lo Piccolo and

Antonio Rotolo Antonino "Nino" Rotolo (born January 3, 1946) is a Sicilian Mafia boss from the Pagliarelli area in Palermo that traditionally was under the control of the Motisi Mafia family. Rotolo was the underboss of Matteo Motisi, but according to some penti ...

capomandamento Within Cosa Nostra a mandamento is traditionally a district of three geographically contiguous Mafia cosche (families controlling a single land feud, or a city ward) in Sicily. A capomandamento represents the head of a territory, the mandamento, ...

Pagliarelli The Pagliarelli Prison is a Supermax prison, Maximum security prison in the Pagliarelli neighbourhood of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. History Pagliarelli was built in 1980, became operational in 1996 and it is adjacent and adjoined to the Tribunal o ...

, a Corleonesi loyalist in the days of Totò Riina. In a message referring to an important decision for Cosa Nostra, Provenzano told Rotolo: "''It's up to you, me and Lo Piccolo to decide this thing''."Police strike at heart of mafia averts bloody power struggle
, by John Hooper, The Guardian, 21 June 2006. Anti-Mafia prosecutor Antonio Ingroia of the Direzione distrettuale antimafia (DDA) of Palermo said that it was unlikely that there would be an all-out war over who would fill Provenzano's shoes. "''Right now I don't think that's probable''," he said. Of the two possible successors, Ingroia thought Lo Piccolo was the more likely heir to the Mafia throne. "''He's from Palermo, and that's still the most powerful Mafia stronghold''," Ingroia said. Two months after Provenzano's arrest, on 20 June 2006, authorities issued 52 arrest warrants against the top echelon of Cosa Nostra in the city of Palermo (Operation Gotha). In November 2009, Massimo Ciancimino, the son of former mayor of Palermo

Vito Ciancimino Vito Alfio Ciancimino (; 2 April 1924 – 19 November 2002) was an Italian politician close to the Mafia leadership who became known for enriching himself and his associates by corruptly granting planning permission. An abrasive personality, h ...

, said that Provenzano betrayed the whereabouts of Riina. Police sent Vito Ciancimino maps of Palermo. One of the maps was delivered to Provenzano, then a Mafia fugitive. Ciancimino said the map was returned by Provenzano who indicated the precise location of Riina's hiding place.Boss Riina 'betrayed' by Provenzano
, ANSA, 5 November 2009.Italy: Top Mafia fugitive 'betrayed' by boss
, Adnkronos International, 5 November 2009. On 19 March 2011, it was confirmed that Provenzano was suffering from bladder cancer, and was transferred from Novara to a prison in

Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...

; on 9 May 2012, he attempted suicide by putting his head in a plastic bag, with the aim of suffocation, but was foiled when it was observed by a prison police officer. On 9 April 2014, he was admitted into the San Paolo Hospital in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

List of trials

*In 1995, in the trial for the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Giuseppe Russo, Provenzano was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment together with Salvatore Riina,

Michele Greco Michele Greco (; 12 May 1924 – 13 February 2008) was a member of the Sicilian Mafia and a convicted murderer. Greco died in prison while serving multiple life sentences. His nickname was ''Il Papa'' ("The Pope") due to his ability to mediate be ...

and Leoluca Bagarella. *The same year, in the trial for the murders of the commissioners Beppe Montana and

Antonino Cassarà Antonino may refer to: * Antonino (name), a given name and a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Antonino, Kansas, an unincorporated community in Ellis County, Kansas, United States See also * Antoniano (disambiguation) * Antoñ ...

, he was also sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment together with Michele Greco, Bernardo Brusca,

Francesco Madonia Francesco Madonia (March 31, 1924 – March 13, 2007) was the Mafia boss of the San Lorenzo-Pallavicino area in Palermo. In 1978 he became a member of the Sicilian Mafia Commission. ''Ciccio'' Madonia became the unquestioned patriarch of the Resu ...

and Salvatore Riina. *The same year, in the trial for the murders of

Piersanti Mattarella Piersanti Mattarella (; 24 May 1935 – 6 January 1980) was an Italian politician. He was assassinated by the Mafia while he held the position of President of the Regional Government of Sicily. He was the brother of Sergio Mattarella, who ha ...

Pio La Torre Pio La Torre (; 24 December 1927 – 30 April 1982) was a leader of the Italian Communist Party (''Partito Comunista Italiano'', PCI). He was killed by the Mafia after he initiated a law that introduced a new crime in the Italian legal system, maf ...

Rosario di Salvo Rosario () is the largest city in the central Argentine province of Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous city in the country, and is also the most ...

and Michele Reina, in which he was given a further life sentence in absentia together with Michele Greco, Bernardo Brusca, Salvatore Riina,

Giuseppe Calò Giuseppe "Pippo" Calò (born 30 September 1931) is an Italian mobster and member of the Sicilian Mafia in Porta Nuova. He was referred to as the "''cassiere di Cosa Nostra''" (Mafia's Cashier) because he was heavily involved in the financial si ...

, Francesco Madonia and

Nenè Geraci Antonino Geraci (Partinico, January 2, 1917 – Partinico, February 6, 2007), better known as Nenè or ''il vecchio'' (the old one), was the historical boss of Sicilian Mafia, the Mafia in Partinico, in the Metropolitan City of Palermo. Geraci sat ...

. *The same year, in the trial for the murder of General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa,

Boris Giuliano Giorgio Boris Giuliano (; October 22, 1930 – July 21, 1979) was a police chief from Palermo, Sicily. He was the head of Palermo's Flying Squad. He was killed by the Sicilian Mafia while investigating heroin trafficking and money laundering. N ...

, and

Paolo Giaccone Paolo Giaccone (March 21, 1929 in Palermo, Italy – August 11, 1982 in Palermo, Italy) was an Italian forensic pathologist and a professor at the University of Palermo The University of Palermo ( it, Università degli Studi di Palermo) is ...

, Provenzano was sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia together with Salvatore Riina, Giuseppe Calò, Bernardo Brusca, Francesco Madonia, Nenè Geraci and Francesco Spadaro. *In 1997, in the trial for the

in which the judge

, his wife Francesca Morvillo and their escort of Antonio Montinaro, Vito Schifani and Rocco Di Cillo, lost their lives, Provenzano was sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia together with the bosses Salvatore Riina, Pietro Aglieri, Bernardo Brusca, Giuseppe Calò,

Raffaele Ganci Raffaele Ganci (4 January 1932 – 3 June 2022) was a member of the Mafia in Sicily from the Noce neighbourhood in Palermo. He was considered to be the right-hand man of Cosa Nostra boss Totò Riina and sat on the Sicilian Mafia Commission.

, Nenè Geraci,

Benedetto Spera Benedetto Spera (; born July 1, 1934) is a member of the Sicilian Mafia and the boss of the Belmonte Mezzagno Mafia family and the '' mandamento'' of Misilmeri in the province of Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. He was convicted ''in absentia' ...

Nitto Santapaola Benedetto Santapaola (; born 4 June 1938), better known as Nitto, is a prominent mafioso from Catania, the main city and industrial centre on Sicily's east coast. His nickname is ''il cacciatore'' (the hunter), because of his passion for shooting ...

Salvatore Montalto Salvatore may refer to: * Salvatore (name), a given name and surname, including a list of people with the name * "Salvatore" (song), by Lana Del Rey, 2015 * Salvatore (band), a Norwegian instrumental rock band * '' Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams' ...

Giuseppe Graviano Giuseppe Graviano (; September 30, 1963) is an Italian mafioso from the Brancaccio quarter in Palermo. He also was one the men of the death squad that murdered Salvatore Contorno's relatives. He is currently serving several life sentences. He a ...

, Matteo Motisi and

. *The same year, in the trial for the murder of Judge Cesare Terranova, Provenzano received another life sentence in absentia along with Michele Greco, Bernardo Brusca, Giuseppe Calò, Nenè Geraci, Francesco Madonia and Salvatore Riina.Ecco chi uccise Terranova
, Corriere della Sera, 4 June 1997 *In 1999, Provenzano was sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia in the trial against those responsible for the

, in which the judge Paolo Borsellino and five of his escort men lost their lives; together with him the bosses Giuseppe "Piddu" Madonia, Nitto Santapaola, Giuseppe Calò, Giuseppe Farinella, Raffaele Ganci, Nino Giuffrè, Filippo Graviano, Michelangelo La Barbera, Giuseppe Montalto, Salvatore Montalto, Matteo Motisi, Salvatore Biondo, Cristoforo Cannella, Domenico Ganci and Stefano Ganci. *In 2000, he was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment together with

, Leoluca Bagarella and Salvatore Riina for the 1993 bombings including Via dei Georgofili, in Florence, Milan and Rome. *In 2002, Provenzano was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for the murder of judge

Rocco Chinnici Rocco Chinnici (, ; 19 January 1925 – 29 July 1983) was a noted Italian anti-Mafia magistrate killed by the Sicilian Mafia. Life Born at Misilmeri, Chinnici graduated in law at the University of Palermo in 1947 and started working as a magist ...

together with the bosses Salvatore Riina, Raffaele Ganci, Antonino Madonia, Salvatore Buscemi, Nenè Geraci, Giuseppe Calò, Francesco Madonia, Salvatore and Giuseppe Montalto, Stefano Ganci and Vincenzo Galatolo. *In 2003, Provenzano was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for the murder of

Mario Francese Mario Francese (; 6 February 1925 – 26 January 1979) was an Italian crime reporter of the ''Giornale di Sicilia''. He was the first journalist to expose the role of Toto Riina and the Corleonesi within the Sicilian Mafia, and because of this ...

.Biografia Mario Francese
Fondazione Francese *In 2009, he received another life sentence together with Salvatore Riina for the Viale Lazio massacre and the death of

Family

Provenzano had been romantically linked to Saveria Benedetta Palazzolo, a woman from Mafia family from

Cinisi Cinisi (; scn, Cìnisi ) is a town and a '' comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Palermo in Sicily. As of 1 January 2022 it has a population of 11.846. Geography The town is part of the Palermo metropolitan area, borders with the municipaliti ...

; the couple had two children, Angelo Provenzano and Francesco Paolo Provenzano. Palazzolo and her children lived in hiding until 1992; then, in the spring of that year, they suddenly returned to Corleone. Angelo had been a tour guide in Palermo, speaking about Sicilian Mafia history. Francesco Paolo graduated in 2005 with a doctorate in Modern Languages and Cultures at the

University of Palermo The University of Palermo ( it, Università degli Studi di Palermo) is a university located in Palermo, Italy, and founded in 1806. It is organized in 12 Faculties. History The University of Palermo was officially founded in 1806, although its ...

Death

On 13 July 2016, Provenzano died in Milan from complications from bladder cancer at San Paolo Hospital, aged 83. Refused a public funeral by the church and Palermo police chief, Provenzano was

cremated Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...

in Milan, and on 18 July, his ashes were buried in his family tomb in a cemetery in his hometown of Corleone.

In popular culture

*''Il fantasma di Corleone'', a 2006 film by

Marco Amenta Marco Amenta (Palermo, 11 August 1970) is an Italian director, producer, and photojournalist. Biography After attending the Liceo Classico Umberto I in Palermo, Amenta started his career at ''Il Giornale di Sicilia'' as a photojournalist. In ...

; *''L'ultimo dei Corleonesi'', a 2007 film by

Alberto Negrin Alberto Negrin (born 2 January 1940) is an Italian film director and screenwriter, known for his historical, nostalgic and political films. Negrin started his career as a fine art photographer. In 1962 he debuted as an assistant stage director, c ...

where Provenzano is played by David Coco; *''Scacco al re - La cattura di Provenzano'', a 2007 documentary series; *''

Il Capo dei Capi ''Il Capo dei Capi'' (''The Boss of the Bosses'') is a six-part Italian miniseries which debuted on Canale 5 between October and November 2007. It tells the story of Salvatore Riina, alias ''Totò u Curtu'' (Totò the Short), a mafioso boss f ...

'', a 2007 TV series by

Enzo Monteleone Enzo Monteleone (born 13 April 1954 in Padova, Italy) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. Career Enzo Monteleone made his professional debut as a screenwriter with the screenplay of ''Hotel Colonial'', an Italian-American co-prod ...

and Alexis Sweet, where Provenzano is played by Salvatore Lazzaro; *''L'ultimo padrino'', a 2008 two-part television miniseries by

Marco Risi Marco Risi (born 4 June 1951) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, film producer and cinematographer. Born in Milan, he is son of director Dino Risi. After graduating from Liceo Scientifico, Risi joined the faculty of philosophy, but aband ...

, where Provenzano is played by

Michele Placido Michele Placido (; born 19 May 1946) is an Italian actor, film director, and screenwriter. He began his career on stage, and first gained mainstream attention through a series of roles in films directed by the likes of Mario Monicelli and Marco ...

References

External links

*Dickie, John (2004). ''Cosa Nostra. A history of the Sicilian Mafia'', London: Coronet, *Jamieson, Alison (2000). ''The Antimafia. Italy's fight against organized crime'', London: MacMillan Press Ltd *Longrigg, Clare (2009), ''Boss of Bosses: How One Man Saved The Sicilian Mafia'', London: John Murray, * Oliva, Ernesto & Salvo Palazzolo (2001).
L’altra mafia: Biografia di Bernardo Provenzano
', Soveria Mannelli (CZ): Rubbettino Editore. * Stille, Alexander (1995).''Excellent Cadavers. The Mafia and the Death of the First Italian Republic'', New York: Vintage *
A biography of Provenzano

24 April 2001

29 August 2004
Profile from the BBC
11 April 2006

by Eric J. Lyman, ''USA Today'', 12 April 2006

by John Hooper, The Guardian, 13 April 2006

by Federico Varese, ''The Times'', 14 April 2006
In search of the real Godfather
by Peter Popham, ''The Independent'', 4 June 2006 * Short clip from from RAI TV. {{DEFAULTSORT:Provenzano, Bernardo 1933 births 2016 deaths Capo dei capi Corleonesi Deaths from cancer in Lombardy Deaths from bladder cancer Fugitives Fugitives wanted by Italy Italian crime bosses Italian Roman Catholics Sicilian Mafia Commission Sicilian Mafiosi Sicilian Mafiosi sentenced to life imprisonment